Do you think The Good Life could be remade, with me or Dave playing Tom Good (maybe not!)? If you have seen something on TV or heard something on the radio recently that you want to talk about, tell us here.

I did a one day stained glass course here in Orkney last year........was much more difficult than I'd ever imagined. There were 8 of us in the class and one tutor, enough tools for 4 people and not a lot of glass to choose from. It was a long and rather fraught day but we all managed our own little work of art and, once the panic had subsided, we were all happy we'd done it. These programmes are really good and show you just how much hard work and determination you need to do these crafts but wow, such beautiful results . Wish there were more programmes like this on TV.

I have been doing an adult education class on stained glass for the last to terms and its really hard but so satifying ... but if the tutor and been such a paiin as the one on the tele I would have lasted a week ... We started with copperfoiled pieces and I have almost finsihed a lead piece.

Looking forward to the weaving one ... but I think my hbby lives in terror of me wanting a loom ...

theabsinthefairy wrote:This is proving to be the best thing on TV at the moment. Really enjoyed the smithing and stained glass work.

I sort of agree, but the regular "theme" of one person - will they/won't they make the grade is driving me nuts. Why can't we just have a straight forward programme - these people are learning ...... and this is how they did it.

If I want high drama and tension I'll watch the Sopranos!

Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy

theabsinthefairy wrote:This is proving to be the best thing on TV at the moment. Really enjoyed the smithing and stained glass work.

I sort of agree, but the regular "theme" of one person - will they/won't they make the grade is driving me nuts. Why can't we just have a straight forward programme - these people are learning ...... and this is how they did it.

If I want high drama and tension I'll watch the Sopranos!

It's an up market version of the x factor !!

What narks me is in every programme it says the apprenticship [for a weaver, smithy, thatcher etc] is 5 years ..... but we are going to have a 6 week course to get them up to speed so they can be unleashed onto a national trust property...... what !!

Typical magazine type programe which, whilst I like the subjects contained within the series I hope none of them actually get let loose onto a national truist property etc.

[size=150]Member of the Ishloss weight group 2013. starting weight 296.00 pounds on 01.01.2013. Now minus 0.20 pounds total THIS WEEK - 0.20 pounds Now over 320 pounds and couldn't give a fig...Secret Asparagus binger

Yes it is a great shame that Monty Don has allowed the programme to follow the formula set down for such programmes these days, like Masterchef, with invented, hyped up, competition; because it is very refreshing to see such trades on the telly.If they left out all that hype, the psuedo-psychological insights, the false competition, etc how much more detail of the skill and art of the trade would they have been able to get across.Fortunately I have at various times learnt (well, the basics of) all the skills so far shown but I think it is great that a much wider audience is getting to see them. Nowadays I feel people live in a world that they are totally disconnected from. People live in houses that they don't know how they are built, they drive cars that you daren't lift the bonnet of, use machinery, phones, computers, etc that are just mysterious black boxes to be thrown away and replaced every year or so, and eat processed foods without knowing what the hell is in it. People have become alientated from the world and become passive consumers, this is a million miles from just my grandparents generation who would grow, make and repair much of what was around them and if they couldn't do it a neighbour could.I see in Mastercrafts and the River Cottage programmes a yearning of many people to reconnect with the real world and get ISHY. Lets have more of them

grahamhobbs wrote:Yes it is a great shame that Monty Don has allowed the programme to follow the formula set down for such programmes these days, like Masterchef, with invented, hyped up, competition; because it is very refreshing to see such trades on the telly.If they left out all that hype, the psuedo-psychological insights, the false competition, etc how much more detail of the skill and art of the trade would they have been able to get across.Fortunately I have at various times learnt (well, the basics of) all the skills so far shown but I think it is great that a much wider audience is getting to see them. Nowadays I feel people live in a world that they are totally disconnected from. People live in houses that they don't know how they are built, they drive cars that you daren't lift the bonnet of, use machinery, phones, computers, etc that are just mysterious black boxes to be thrown away and replaced every year or so, and eat processed foods without knowing what the hell is in it. People have become alientated from the world and become passive consumers, this is a million miles from just my grandparents generation who would grow, make and repair much of what was around them and if they couldn't do it a neighbour could.I see in Mastercrafts and the River Cottage programmes a yearning of many people to reconnect with the real world and get ISHY. Lets have more of them

So true Graham, so true.

The thing is the people who are wanting "to learn" these skills are not the young but people of aged 35 plus. The sad part for me is that the youth of today, and in that I include ages up to 25 are, in general not interested in anything remotly like this.

Many of them cannot even spell, punctuate or even talk correctly. I' no Einstein but I can get by without modern techno gadgets. Many can't comunicate without their face book page etc and listening to radio 4 the other day a school teacher said that they have a school facebook page and use this to comunicate messages to their pupils " because they all check their facebook at least every 10 or 15 minutes" then she correcterd herself fast to conclude that it was about 4 times a day. My thoughts were why were they allowed to check their fascebook page every 10 minutes when they should be learning but then they are only taught how to pass exams and not "learn".

If we have a major power cut or emp strike, civil breakdown then people like us will be kings and queens because of the skills we know and practice without the use of electricity.

[size=150]Member of the Ishloss weight group 2013. starting weight 296.00 pounds on 01.01.2013. Now minus 0.20 pounds total THIS WEEK - 0.20 pounds Now over 320 pounds and couldn't give a fig...Secret Asparagus binger

Weaving was the episode I was most looking forward to - if only the programme could have been just about the craft and not have to have the personal histories and histrionics of the people doing the training.